Union Protesters Drown Out Mayor Nutter’s Budget Speech
As expected, Mayor Michael Nutter gave a speech to a packed hall of union protesters, angry at the administration for having worked several years without a new negotiated contract. Things had been a little nutty throughout the morning, as the City Council debated earned sick leave and a couple other issues. Protesters had shown up early with signs portraying...
Continue ReadingPhilly a Winner in Bloomberg Mayors Challenge
This morning, Bloomberg Philanthropies — that’s New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s charitable foundation — announced that Philadelphia was one of five cities to win its Mayor’s Challenge, “a competition to inspire American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life – and that ultimately...
Continue ReadingCorbett ‘Most Endangered Governor’ in Country
The public does not like Governor Tom Corbett, and his re-election chances are looking worse every day. Now, a new poll shows that he may be the most endangered governor in the country come the 2014 elections. A Public Policy Polling survey conducted from March 8-10 not only found the governor in worse shape than he’s ever been — but voters are apparently...
Continue ReadingShould Pennsylvania Enforce GMO Food Labeling?
Back in December, I undertook the Food Stamp Challenge alongside my PW colleague, Sheena Lester, and we both learned something too obvious: Much of the cheap food we were able to afford on $35 per week not only isn’t healthy, but is genetically engineered — or, as it’s often been dubbed, “Frankenfood.” The nonprofit Center for Food Safety...
Continue ReadingMayor Nutter Responds to Philly Mag, and Huber Gets Invited to Meet Some People Who Aren’t White
Over the weekend, Mayor Nutter weighed in on that clickety-click-click-seeking enterprise that is Robert Huber’s would-be opus, “Being White In Philly,” published in this month’s Philadelphia Magazine. “Someone has written something in a magazine in Philadelphia,” Nutter remarked Saturday morning at the 27th annual Madam CJ Walker...
Continue ReadingSat. night: Join me at this book party & reading
Saturday evening, join us to celebrate the release of Get Out of My Crotch: Twenty-One Writers Respond to America’s War on Women’s Rights and Reproductive Health with a reading a soiree in Brewerytown. I’m thrilled to be featured in this very necessary anthology. And I’m in good company! The full list of contributors include Roxane Gay, Betty...
Continue ReadingPA Sen. Pat Toomey Stood with Rand Paul on Drone Filibuster
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spent almost 13 hours yesterday filibustering President Barack Obama’s CIA director nominee John Brennan over the administration’s stance on drone technology and their declared right to murder at will. It was something to see, especially as several of Paul’s colleagues, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, got on the Senate floor...
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NRA Launches New Campaign Targeting Black People
The NRA has launched a new advertising campaign that targets urban black men. The ads feature a guy named “Mr. Colion Noir.” We know little about Noir except that he is an “urban gun enthusiast” and “budding attorney” from Houston, Texas who has carved out quite a niche for himself in the YouTube gun enthusiast world. The NRA teased...
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Paid Sick Days Passes Committee After Sparks Fly in City Hall
The fight for paid sick days has been long, and yesterday’s hearing before the Public Health and Human Services Committee began bright and early, with several advocates meeting media before the session began to tell their stories. “We have found that treating workers fairly is good for business,” said Janet Filante, owner of Childspace Daycare. “This...
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